Felker , Donald W . ; Bahlke , Susan TITLE Learning Deficit in the Ability to Self - Reinforce as Related to Negative Self - Concept

EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$0.50 Child Development, Childhood Attitudes, *Child Responsibility, *Elementary School Students, *Reinforcement, *Self Concept, *Self Esteem, Self Evaluation, Social Psychology The study tests four hypotheses derived from the proposition that positive selfccncept is partly due to an ability to utilize self-initiated verbal reinforcement. Subjects were 131 (66 boys and 65 girls) white fourth grade students from a suburban middle class school. The Piers-Harris self-concept measure was administered to all students. The Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire and the Minnesota Tests of Creative Thinking were each given to half the students. Students were asked to rank order nine statements on a continuum of "good to say to myself while doing schoolwork". A spelling test was administered in conjunction with value statements chosen specifically for the analysis. The procedures provided the following scores: self-concept, locus of control, verbal fluency, statements chosen as good to say to oneself and statements chosen after task. The results show positive relationships between (1) self-concept and children's belief that they are responsible for their academic success, (2) self-concept and verbal fluency, (3) self-concept and positiveness of designated as "good to say to myself while doing schoolwork", and (4) self-concept and positiveness of self-divided statements chased to say after completion of an academic task. (author/MC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION I WELFARE OFFICE Of EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS ID REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS red STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. N' Learning Deficit in the Ability to Self-Reinforce Pig1 as Related to Negative Self-Concepti O Donald W. Felker Susan Bahlke Purdue University The present study tested hypotheses derived from the proposition that positive self-concept is partly due to an ability to utilize self-initiated verbal reinforcement. It is well established that much conversation is private, in the sense that it is directed inward, and that one type of self-directed speech is criticism and praise of self (Benle.and Hubbell, 1938; Kohlberg, Yeager, and Hjertholm, 1968; Piaget, 1942). Marston (1965) has pointed out that this type of selfdirected speech can be viewed as a link between self-concept and overt behavior. When the self-concept is verbalized statements are produced which could be regarded as verbal reinforcement. When one says that a person has a poor self-concept he is saying that he evaluates himself in negative terms, and it is implied that the person gives himself relatively little positive verbal evaluations and hence little verbal reinforcement. Four relationships which are predicted from this framework were investigated. The first relationship investigated was self-concept and locus of control (Rotter, 1950. If high self-concept is related to self-reinforcement then the person who possesses a positive self-concept will perceive of himself as being in control of his success. Since these successes will be 1. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Minneapolis, March, 1970. The research was supported in part by funds from the Internal Support Research Program of the Department of Education, Purdue University.